Monday, August 31, 2009

On empty nests, weddings, and iced coffee...

Empty Nests
Change is in the air...

With his nose in the air, Spotty can smell it...


... and from the look of his laid-back ears, I don't think he likes it.


And our Tiger is missing... Not literally. She is here, somewhere, inside the house. But when our little shy Tiger gets stressed, she disappears (in 16 years we've yet to find where she goes, so suffice to say she'd ace a game of Hide & Seek with anyone)... Her green blanket at the end of Amanda's bed, where she spends 99.5% of her time is empty (the other .5% of her time is spent eating, but she's MIA from the kitchen as well)...


Strange furniture has started to appear in the house, along with a new rechargeable cordless screwdriver (in the package on top of the chest) that makes God-awful noises...


The sofa is constantly covered with piles of laundry waiting to be folded and sorted, and all the while the old washer & dryer hums and rumbles continuously in the background, churning out load after load...


Hard hats should be required before entering Court's room downstairs (trust me on that one)...


Yet another sofa where clothes are being sorted with reckless abandon, with "Will I really need this at college?" being Court's current mantra...


Amanda has started piling her belongings near the windowseat in the family room...


Life was so simple back when these photos were taken... A new dress, a new pair of shoes, and it was only a matter of hours before I had them back at home at the end of the day... So when did they go from these sweet little girls...


... to these equally sweet, beautiful young women who are so wonderfully silly and funny and who I am going to miss so much!!!!!!!!!... And how on earth did it happen so fast?


So as you head back to college this year, my Courtkins, and as you move into your very first apartment, my Amanda-Pooh, know that even though I won't be physically with you, my heart and my love will be with you every single minute of every single day... And as much as I will miss you (mental note: stock up on kleenex), I am even more excited for the new adventures that are waiting for you both! I love you, girls!
On weddings

Hubby and I were honored with an invitation a friend's son's wedding this weekend....


After a week of GORGEOUS weather, Saturday rained buckets, but that did nothing to dampen the spirits of the beautiful bride and handsome groom... I think if the bride heard it once, she heard it dozens of times, that rain is a sign of good luck on a wedding day. It was a day filled with great fun, great music, great friends, and great food!


My haddock dinner...


... and hubby's chicken dinner...


...beautiful centerpieces on the tables...

... and excellent cake and coffee - YES, I FORGOT TO TAKE A PHOTO OF THE CAKE!! Can you believe it? You'll have to trust me - it was fantastic!!!!
ON ICED COFFEE

On the way home from the reception, we swung through McDonalds so I could get an iced coffee... When we got up to the the drive-through window the McDonalds cashier said to me, "Oh wow, you're all dressed up tonight." So not only does he recognize me, but he was aware that I wasn't in my usual jeans and t-shirt... If there was ever proof that I need to cut back on my iced coffee consumption, that was it!
Now I need to go fix two lasagnas for supper tonight, one vegetarian and one with sausage (it's what both girls requested for their last meals before moving out)...
Wishing you all a wonderful week...
Donna

5 comments:

My Casa Bella said...

Cute story, enjoyed reading it!! Love your blog by the way.

Lynne's Somewhat Invented Life said...

Those girls are really darling. It's hard to have an empty nest. When you are in the midst of lost socks and homework undone and piano not practiced you forget that one day the house will be quiet. They will come home and bring friends, boyfriends and fun and chatter. And request more lasagna.

Jill said...

Beautifully written Donna. I understand! My house is looking kind of the same as yours right now. Clothes everywhere, strange furniture etc....only I have had one come back home!
Jill

Elaine said...

It must be so hard to see your girls leave. I hope you find your missing kitty (at least you know it's inside somewhere).

Funny story about the McDonalds ice coffee. I was at Starbucks the other day and the kid said to me, Are you having your Americano or the iced mocha today? Scary!!

Brenda Pruitt said...

Yes, been there. But you will enter a different "zone" with your kids. They may or may not ever actually reside in your house again. But the new "zone" will be you visiting them in their homes. And having to learn that Mom doesn't rule there. That they can use overhead lights and never lamps if they want to, though Mom can scarcely see to thumb through a magazine before bed. A new era. A new time for them and you. And you will come to truly enjoy it! (Trust me...)
Brenda